Flowers have held symbolic meanings for centuries. Especially in religions. #Floriography took off in Europe and America during the #VictorianPeriod.
I have a bunch of books in my collection. Personal fav is Louise Cortambert's books. #HAK7
Victorian era is known for being particularly repressed. Novels of the time were obsessed with romance. The real-life romance was restricted. Especially in the upper and middle classes. Rules around male and female interaction were strict, very formal. #HAK7
Nosegays, small hand-held bunches of flowers were popular. Women would hold them in front of their faces. Helped blocking out the smells from the streets. Inevitably, nosegays became the front lines for romance. Men gifted their intended sweetheart bunches of flowers conveying complex, detailed meanings. Not only did the individual flowers hold meaning but the way they were arranged together could also tell a whole story. Convey a deeper meaning.
Women could then indicate their acceptance of the message by holding the nosegay to their chest. Or reject it by holding it pointing downwards. Did you think modern dating was hard?
No comments:
Post a Comment